Flag Day and The Legend of Betsy Ross

Flag Day and The Legend of Betsy Ross 

Today is Flag Day.  This is the day we celebrate the red, white and blue with thoughts of country, patriotism and, of course, Betsy Ross, who sewed the first flag.   Didn't she? 

Actually, according to most historians the fact that Betsy Ross created the first American Flag is a myth that was first perpetuated by her grandson, William J. Canby 20 years after her death.  It was a story that was well-received at the time when people were looking for heroes about the American Revolution. 

It is true that Betsy was a seamstress.  She learned the art of sewing from her great aunt.  But, while she may have worked a miracle with a sewing machine, unfortunately she was very unlucky in love. 

Shortly after finishing her education she went to work as an upholstery apprentice and fell in love with a fellow worker John Ross. They eloped when she was 21 and started their own upholstery business.  Within two years, Ross was killed while he was guarding munitions as a member of the local militia. 

Betsy continued with her business and married for a second time. This time it was to a mariner who left for long sea voyages.  During the Revolution he was captured at sea and charged with treason and died of an unknown illness while imprisoned. 

Her third marriage was to John Claypoole with whom she had five children.  After twenty years of bad health Mr. Claypoole also died leaving Ms. Ross once again to her upholstery business where she did, indeed, sew flags for the United States. 

But, as to the very first American flag?  That credit officially goes to a man names Francis Hopkinson, a patriot, a lawyer, a Congressman from New Jersey and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  According to USflag.org he is almost certainly the person who designed the first Stars and Stripes.

I still like the Betsy Ross story, however.  She may not have made the first flag but she lived through some hard times, did some patriotic sewing and also managed to become a legend.

 

Copyright 2010 "Flag Day and The Legend of Betsy Ross"

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